Largest
Public service
British Trade Union calls for
Boycott of Israli Goods & Services

UNISON National Executive Council
http://www.unison.org.uk/about/national.asp
April 22, 2002

In a Saturday April 20, 2002 National Executive
Committee (NEC) meeting UNISON, the largest public sector trade
union in the UK issues a statement on the Middle East including
call for negotiations, boycotting Israeli goods and service as well
as support for UNRWA.

National Executive Council Report AGENDA NO: 6(d)

NEC statement on the Middle East

UNISON expresses concern at the dramatic escalation of violence
and the loss of life in Israel and Palestine. We believe that the
current dangerous situation is a direct consequence of the abandonment
of the peace process and the invasion and reoccupation of Palestinian
territories by the Israeli army directed by Ariel Sharon. We condemn
the Israeli Government for its continuing policy of State terrorism
in violation of UN resolutions and international law.

UNISON believes that Israels continuing offensive against
Palestinian targets will not stop the spate of suicide bombings
against Israeli forces and civilians. We condemn unreservedly the
killing of innocent civilians by suicide bombers and believe that
there can be no justification whatsoever for such acts, but we believe
that they are fuelled by the deep frustration and despair of the
Palestinian people living under Israeli occupation, and by the indiscriminate
use of brute military force against innocent civilians.

UNISON reaffirms its solidarity and support for the Palestine General
Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU), expressing sorrow that the recent
bombings of Nablus caused great damage to the headquarters of the
PGFTU. We believe that the current military offensive and the humiliation
of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat and his people by a supposed
democracy is unacceptable, and we support fully the calls made by
the United Nations, the EU, the US President George W. Bush and
Russia for Israel to withdraw immediately from Palestinian territories.

We believe that it is ordinary people who are paying the true price
of conflict in the Middle East and innocent civilians on both sides
who are suffering. On the Israeli side, main cities remain empty,
especially at nights, and Israelis are afraid to go out unless it
is absolutely necessary. On the Palestinian side, in addition to
the severe unemployment, and the daily humiliation of the occupation
further exacerbated by the recent reoccupation of Palestinian towns
and villages, there is now a mounting humanitarian and human rights
crisis in the West Bank.

UNISON expresses concern at the worsening humanitarian situation
in the Palestinian territories, where people lack water, medicines
and food. We support the recent UN call for Israel to respect humanitarian
law and allow full and unimpeded access to humanitarian organisations
and services, and international observers. We call for an immediate
halt to British arms sales to Israel, and we will approach other
trade unions representing those involved in the production and transport
of arms and equipment to the IDF, asking them to refuse to produce
and transport these items to Israel. In particular we will urge
the British government to use its influence within the EU and on
the US administration to press for an immediate Israeli withdrawal
from Palestinian territories and to insist that Ariel Sharon participates
in meaningful dialogue with the Palestinian Authority. Furthermore,
we demand the establishment of an International Commission of Inquiry
into allegations of human rights abuses, including killings of civilians,
by the Israeli army in Palestinian refugee camps. We believe that
disproportionate and excessive force has been used by Israel and
that civilians were not properly protected.

UNISON calls for an end to all violence and we renew our call for
reconciliation and for a negotiated political solution, which will
allow Israel to live in peace within secure pre-1967 borders and
for the creation of a viable independent Palestinian state, in accordance
with UN resolutions 1397 and 1402, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
The international community must now demand that Israel comply with
UN resolutions 242 and 338, which call for a full and permanent
withdrawal from the Occupied Territories, and must also insist that
the refugee question be settled in negotiations based on UN resolution
194, which recognises the right of Palestinian refugees to return.

In the event that the government of Ariel Sharon continues its
military aggression and refuses to comply with UN resolutions, we
call upon the UK Government and the EU to instigate economic and
trade sanctions against the state of Israel. We believe that the
UK must work for this aim in all its international discussions about
Palestine particularly with the USA, and in the UN.

UNISON calls for a boycott of Israeli goods and services until
such time as the Israeli Government agrees to comply with UN resolutions
and return to the negotiating table. We will continue to communicate
with the PGFTU and liase with the Trade Union Friends of Palestine
and the Labour Middle East Council in setting out the future direction
of this campaign. We further call upon the TUC, STUC and the whole
of the British trade union movement to lend support to the UNWRA
emergency appeal for the West Bank and Gaza. UNISON will contribute
to this appeal with an appropriate amount.

We also call upon the international community to bring pressure
to bear to bring an end to the continuing cycle of violence in the
region and to reinvigorate the search for a peaceful solution in
the Middle East. We reaffirm our position of opposition to escalating
the military action against Iraq, as we believe that this will only
serve to exacerbate tensions in the Middle East and create further
instability and chaos.